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Leica is once again photography partner of ‘PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai’

As the official photography partner for the third time in succession, Leica Camera AG will be presenting a multifaceted exhibition of images from the genre street photography at this year’s PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai (from 8 to 10 September 2017).

The exhibition will be featuring iconic works by world famous and highly acclaimed Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt, pictures by Joel Meyerowitz, one of the most prominent representatives of US-American street and colour photography and also a Leica Hall of Fame Award winner, photography by Matt Stuart, the rising international star of Leica street photography and the young Chinese street and documentary photographer Ya’nan Li.

As Elliot Erwitt once explained: ‘It's about reacting to what you see, hopefully without preconception. You can find pictures anywhere. It's simply a matter of noticing things and organising them. You just have to care about what's around you and have a concern with humanity and the human comedy.’

The series being shown at PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, ‘Personal Best for Leica’ – featuring 50 of Elliot Erwitt’s favourite pictures – bears witness to a close and friendly relationship with Leica that began decades ago. His works – predominantly shot in black and white and depicting celebrities and memorable moments of our times – are considered masterpieces of contemporary photography.

His fine and intelligent sense of humour, which is reflected in many of his pictures, is considered to be his personal trademark.

With the works from the series ‘Leica Hall of Fame 2016’ by Joel Meyerowitz, the Leica exhibition at PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai is presenting one of the beyond doubt most prominent representatives of US-American street and colour photography. ‘I think all the stuff on the street is a gift. But you only get it if you go out there every day’, says Joel Meyerowitz.

Hardly any other photographer has such a perfect eye for capturing the surprising, and often bizarre, moments in the exuberant tangle of everyday life. Whether shot in black-and-white or in colour, his subjects identified and captured in fractions of a second always appear to be painstakingly arranged compositions.

In 2016, Meyerowitz was honoured with the Leica Hall of Fame Award in recognition of his outstanding work as a photographer and the unique photographic signature that characterises his pictures.

No other photographer knows the vibrant streets of London he has made his hunting grounds as well as Matt Stuart – he is long since regarded as one of the most prominent representatives of contemporary street photography, which becomes clear at a glance in his series ‘London Street Life’. From moody passers-by to mischievous demons: Matt Stuart captures unbelievable moments of life in the streets of his home town, pictures that show how colourful, crazy and diverse city life can be.

On almost every day of the last twenty years, he has wandered the busy streets and public places of the British metropolis in his search for the perfect moment. He never leaves home without his Leica, and rejects any form of digital postprocessing. With unbelievable patience, and a fair share of tenacity, he manages to recognise and capture unusual situations and extraordinary moments in the hectic hustle and bustle of life in the streets within split seconds.

With the series titled ‘The Festival of Insignificance’, Leica presents outstanding works by the young Chinese street and documentary photographer Ya’nan Li. ‘Every street has its own special qualities and stories to tell. I love to anticipate this single moment and become one with it before I capture it with my camera. In doing this, I notice very subtle, tiny details’, says Ya’nan Li.

In his pictures, he captures momentary impressions of life in various Chinese towns and major cities in a most impressive way. Despite the vast distances separating them, his series clearly illustrates how strongly linked the individual regions are in terms of colour and patterns of behaviour – each appears to be an element of one colourful and vibrant celebration of life.

His work has already been honoured with numerous prizes in the USA and China, including the National Geographic Award. In 2014, he also took first place in the category ‘Black-and-White’ in the Hamdan National Photography Contest in Dubai and was one of the finalists of the 158th Royal Photography Society International Print Exhibition. His works have already been shown in numerous exhibitions in the USA, then United Kingdom, Dubai and Qatar.